Shoe easing device



F. R. LONG June 14, 1932.

SHOE EAS ING DEVICE Filed Dec. 30, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet June E4, 31932. F. R. LONG LSGGO SHOE EASING DEVICE Filed Dec. 30, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F. R. LONG SHOE EASING DEVICE 3 Sheets-.Sheet 3 Filed DeC. 30, 1951 5mm@ M, 3932.,

Patented 'June 174, 1932 "UNITEDl sra'rasv PATENT .orrica man a. Lone, or ca'rawrssa, rmsrtvama snor: mme nrzvrcn Application mea December so. 1931. serial no. saa'f.l

This invention relates to an apparatus or device for vmanipulatin or operating on shoes to stretch them or ot erwise render them more adaptable to the'foot of the wearer. '5 To that end the invention contemplates a simple, practical andfreliable construction which rmits of readily supporting theshoe while t e various parts thereof are subjected 4to stretching or mani ulatingl pressure. In

that connection, one o the features of the invention resides in the provision of a device includin a plurality of adjustable instrumenta ities whereby` shoes of all sizes and styles may be subjected to the desired stretch;

l5 ing pressure atrmore or'less localized points according to the demands of the particular iittin A further object of the invention is to provide a device which not) only permits the -.operat'or to stretch the shoes lengthwise and sidewise but also to flex or soften the heel or counter thereof, `and raise the vamp. With th'e above and other objects in view, which will become more fully apparent as the 26 nature of the invention is better understood thesame consists in'L the novel features of construction, .combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: a

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved device.

Figure 2 is a top plan viewl thereof.

Figure 3 isa front elevation.

Figure 4 is a detail view illustrating the manner: of mounting one of the detachable last members.

Figure 4a is a detail rear view of the vamp raising device.

Figure 5 is a detail plan view of the counter iiexing means.

455 Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several iigures of the drawings.

. Referring to the drawings, the device includes in its or anization abody designated 5 generally as 1 aving an attaching bracket portion 2 whereby the body may be fixed .to a bench, table or the like support.

The front end of the body is provided with the cross-head 3 (Fig. 2), the samebeing provided with a dove-tailed guideway 4. i This guideway receives a pair of opposltely spaced nut members 5 and 6 having the dovetail portions 5a and 6a slidable in said ide way. The said members 5 and 6 are suitably threaded to receive the op ositely threaded portions 7 and 8 of the sing e screw S having hand wheels 9 and 10 at each end thereof. v As will be observed from Figs. 1 and 2 angular last supports 11 and 12 are mounte on the members 5 and 6 and it will be clear 65 that by manipulating either the hand wheel 9 or the hand wheel 10 the said last supports may be moved toward and Lfrom each other. The said last supports 11 and 12 are adapted to receive the detachable toe last members A. and A', or, alternatively, the vamp raising last member B (Fig. 4).

For the purpose of facilitating the placing of the last members on the horizontal legs of the last supports l1 and 12, each of the last members are provided with a socket portion 13 and a friction ball clutch device la, from which, it will be apparent, that the last members may be easily and quickly fitted to' the supports and likewiseremoved.

Beneath the body l, and between the vertical legs of the last su ports 11 and 12 there is provided a longitu inally disposed adjusting screw shaft 15. This shaft, supported as at 16 and 17 and carrying at its outer end a hand wheel 18, is intended to operate a heel piece' 19. This heel piece is provided with guide portions 20 for engaging with the ribs or guide rails 21 on vthe bottom edge of the body 1, and, upon manipulation of the screw 15 through the hand wheel 18, may be shift-v ed forward and backward as desired.

The upper part of the body 1 is provided with fa stationary counter lexin anvil 22 which is adapted to'receive the bac of a shoe (Fig. 5) placed thereagainst in an inverted position so that the counter portion of the shoe may be operated upon b the movable counter iiexing member 23. his member is provided with the guide portions 24 adapted to slide on the guide rails or ribs on the u per edge of the support l. Thefront face othe counter flexing member 23 1 s curved as indicated at 26 while the rear face 1s provided with a wear plate 27 ada ted to be engaged by a cam plate 28 pivotal ymounted as at 29 on the post carried by the ody and o erated by the handle 3G. It will be clear t at the counter flexing member 23 may be moved toward and from the member 22, thereby to soften or manipulate the counter of the shoe placed between said members which serve as jaws to grip the counter of the 'shoe therebetween.

n connection with the vamp-raising device B shown in Fig. ea, it will be understood that the same is made 1n one piece and is pr0\` vided with an inclined vamp engaging front face B for engaging the vamp of the shoe while its rear face is provided with a socket B2 of suiicient widthto receive the two last supports'll and i2. After the 'vamp raising device is mounted on the endsot the supports the hand wheels 9 or l0 may be operated to force the outer edge of the members ll and l2 in frictionai engagement with the edges et the slot. This provides an easy and quick way oi attaching removing the vamp raising last.

The attaching i vided with a hin ing the part 2 d ectiy with the support, the hinge may be conn d thereto and per-l mit or" the enti "c u ne being swune upwardly to a vertical i :ion to be out or the way. The hinged knuckle 3l is integral with the part 2 while the leaf isconnected with the knuckle by means of a. pin 33. it will, of course, be understood. that in the event the part 2 is secured to the support by screws or other` fastenings it will not be necessary to fasten the hinge. @n the other hand, if the hinge is used, it is not necessary to fasten the body directly to the support.

`Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention .will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minorv details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of thel ap nien 2 also be proo that instead o' connect "pended claims.

I claimz- 1. A shoe easing device including a body having means at one end for attaching the same to the support, a cross-head at the end of the body opposite the point of support, a pair of oppositely adjustable last supports slidably mounted in said-cross head, a heel piece slidably carried by the body at the underside thereof, and means for adjusting the heel piece toward and away from said last supports.

2. A shoe easing device including a body ,having attaching means at one en having means at one end for securing the same to a support, a cross-head at the opposlte .end of the body and having a guideway, last means adjustable in opposite directions in said guideway, a heel piece having a slidable guidin engagement with the underside of the bo and a screw shaft mounted lon tudinally of the body and connected with t e heel piece whereby man ulation of the screw shaft will adjust the hee piece with reference to the last means.;

A8. A shoe easing device comprising a body and a cross head ortion at the other end, said latter portion being provided with a guidewa a pair of oppositely adjustable nut mem ers including portions engaging in said uideway, a single screw shaft having threade portions o opposite pitch operatively engaging said nut members whereby manipulation of said screw shaft will move said nut members, last members carried by said last supports, a heel piece arranged beneath the body, and a screw journaled in the body longitudinally thereof and having a portion extending betweeen the last supports, and a manipulating wheel on the end o' said screw shaft located between the said last supports.

4. i shoe easing device includingla body having means at one end for attac ing the same to a support, a cross head at the end of the body opposite the attaching portion, said cross head having a guideway, nut members slidably mounted in said guideway, angular Sti last supports mounted on said nut members,

a singie screw shaft having threaded portions of same pitch but opposite hand respectively engaging with said nut members, hand wheels at opposite ends of the shaft whereby the latter may be turned to move the last members toward and from each other, last members carried by the angular last supports, a heel piece mounted beneath the body, a screw shaft journaled longitudinally of the body and beneath the same, said screw shaft being operatively connected with the heel piece and the forward end thereof projectin between the last supports and a hand whee lcarried by the end of the shaft which projects between the last supports.

5. A shoe easing device including a body, nut members adjustably mounted in the body, last supports depending from said nut members and having horizontal offset portions,

adjustable longitudinally thereof thereby to move toward and away from said last units.

7. A shoe easing device including a body having attaching means, a pair of last supports carried by the body, means for slidably mounting said supports to move transversely of the body and to maintain them in parallel relation, and an adjustable heel piece mounted beneath the body and adapted to move at right angles to the path of adjustment of the lastv supports.

8. A shoe easing device including in combination, a body, an adjustable heel piece carried by the body, last supports carried by the body, means for adjusting said last supports toward and from each other and maintaining the same in parallel relation, and a vamp raising member adapted to be fitted to the last supports and held thereon by separation of said supports, said vamp raising member having an inclined vamp engaging face.

9. A shoe easing device including a body having an offset bracket portion at one end, a pair of last supporting members at the end of the body opposite the oifset bracket portion, means for adjusting and maintaining the last supporting members in parallel relation, a heel piece adjustably mounted on the body between the last supporting means and the bracket, and a Ahinge connected with the bracket for connecting the device to a support. In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature.

- FRED R. LONG. 

